Just because the college football coaching cycle has slowed down — it doesn’t mean the NFL coaching cycle is anywhere close to be done. According to multiple reports, Notre Dame linebackers coach, Al Washington, is leaving the Irish to take a job in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Washington was just recently moved to linebackers
coach from his defensive line position after Max Bullough left for Michigan State. Notre Dame hired Chris Partridge to take over the defensive line, and moved Washington to the backers. The Irish also just lost Mike Mickens to the Baltimore ravens last week.
This move now means that the Notre Dame defense, one of the most talented in the country and predicted to be one of the best in the country, will have a new coach for every defensive position in 2026.
The two top names to replace Washington, according to Football Scoop’s john Brice, are Oklahoma’s Jay Valai and SMU’s Ricky Hunley — both of whom have a long history with current Notre Dame defensive coordinator, Chris Ash.
